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The Other Mindful Practice: Centering Prayer & Psychotherapy
Summary
Mindfulness is a form of mindful practice and has been practiced for decades (Blanton,
2011). While many researchers have referred to this technique, other variations of mindful
practice have been ignored. This article describes the benefits of a new mindful practice that
shouldn’t be overlooked, Centering Prayer. Centering Prayer has a lot of similarities to
mindfulness. These practices force the client to focus on a specific time or presence. Ultimately,
both of the methods being compared causes one to be distracted from the problem or feeling at
hand and be able to focus on that source that fulfills their need or desire. Another similarity
would be that both practices focus on who we are and separate ourselves from past situations and
individuals who don’t meet our needs so we can become whole.
There are also some visible differences between these two practices. Mindfulness states
that one problem that gets in the way of discovering ourselves is our thinking. Our past
experiences cloud our view of who we are, so we need to release those thoughts that are
becoming obstacles to finding ourselves (Blanton, 2011). Mindfulness also states that our self-
image and this thinking tend to get in the way of recognizing who we are. When this occurs, we
feel inadequate and need to create a narrative to add to our self-worth.
On the flip side, Centering Prayer focuses on ridding yourself of the evil thoughts that
create a negative self-image. This process directs the individual to find the missing answers in
the center of themselves instead of searching for truth outside in others. Ultimately, this
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alleviates falsified stories that mindfulness creates and directs individuals to see themselves
through God’s eyes.
Blanton explains that there are reasons why individuals suffer. Individuals suffer first
because reality gets confused with reality itself (Blanton, 2011). The second reason individuals
suffer is that people don’t understand their nature. They don’t see themselves as others do,
which creates confusion. Blanton believes that Centering Prayer can help these areas because it
dissolves the places where language creates illusions in the individual’s thought process.
Through Centering Prayer, the client can release the false images they had about themselves and
move past those events that caused their suffering.
Blanton illustrated how he integrated Centering Prayer and psychotherapy with two of his
clients. The clients were a couple and had been married for ten years. They struggled with many
issues, and the power struggle led them to want to separate. The counselor met with them for six
weeks, and they were assigned the task of practicing Centering Prayer for twenty minutes a day
independently. The positive results allowed the couple to see different positive sides and taught
them how to accept one another for who they were. This practice helped lessen their anxiety and
judgmental attitudes and heal their marriage. One of the clients acknowledged that integrating
this type of therapy allowed God to be a player throughout the treatment. Both the individuals
agreed that they could turn to God more and wanted to let go of the control they once demanded
in their marriage (Blanton, 2011).
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Reflect
As I read through this article, I saw many similarities between Mindfulness and Centering
Prayer. I could see the benefits of implementing this “newer” approach when described by
Blanton when practiced on his clients.
Some of the most powerful results of integrating Centering Prayer was how it empowered
individuals to see their self-worth from God’s perspective instead of the world’s perspective.
When practiced, the client didn’t need to create false stories to make himself feel worthy. It
allowed him to increase his self-confidence and self-worth and he felt valued as a person. It
flowed over into how he treated others around him when this occurred. This type of change can
help individuals self-soothe, become in charge of their behaviors, and become more capable of
managing their pain.
The one negative side that I discovered in this article that resulted from Centering Prayer
was the chance for this process to drudge up disturbing thoughts and images in clients. This type
of therapy can bring up deep wounds due to its nature but can be lessened if the practice is kept
short.
I was intrigued with the benefits that could be experienced by the client and therapist
when practiced together. Blanton explained how this process could strengthen counselor/client
relationships collectively and independently (Blanton, 2011). When implementing Centering
Prayer, God is ultimately brought into the center of the relationships formed amongst everyone
present. I firmly believe that God is the ultimate example of a counselor and when we invite
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Him to be part of any experience, His characteristics are what gives a supernatural peace to those
who have joined together in His presence. This is demonstrated in Matthew 18:20 when He
says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.” (King James Version, 1769/2017).
Apply
A married couple came to visit and struggled with some serious marital issues. They felt
they could not trust each other anymore because the husband had a marital affair. He was in the
mindset of blaming the affair on his wife for not meeting his emotional needs and not being
supportive. After initially evaluating the situation and after the written consent of allowing
Biblical counseling, it was decided that Centering Prayer would be part of the plan for future
sessions. In that plan, the counselor set up individual meetings with each client and group
sessions and decided to train both clients to practice Centering Prayer independently.
This type of mindfulness approach aims to allow each individual to spend time searching
for their purpose and identity through God’s eyes, and then this will ultimately strengthen their
relationship. The clients will be given the individual assignment to spend 20 minutes every day
in Centering Prayer. Throughout this time, we will be conducting Centering Prayer in couples
therapy.
The goal is for each client to rid their negative feelings and thoughts of themselves that
could be affecting the way they see their spouse in the marriage. The incorrect way they see
themselves as individuals could cause some of the suffering they are enduring in their marriage.
The goal would be to bring the couple together after intense group and individual work
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References
Blanton, P. G. (2011). The Other Mindful Practice: Centering Prayer & Psychotherapy. Pastoral
Psychology, 60(1), 133-147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-010-0292-9
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible
Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769).
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